Human Spirits
There are two types of spirits, human and non-human. The most common spirit one encounters was a human being at one time. For some reason; perhaps guilt, unfinished business or a fear of passing over, the human spirit has continued to remain in the living world. There is no reason to fear a human spirit. It will not hurt you.
The human spirit maintains the same personality as it did during life. There are not-so-nice people in the world, and if a spirit was one who harbored such a personality in life, then it is likely to have maintained those personality traits in death. There are timid spirits and bold, ones who can be pushed around, and those who will do as they please. Paranormal researchers are often able to determine a spirit's personality and intentions and sometimes can discover who the spirit was in life.
Sometimes the spirit will make attempts to gain our attention. It may not even realize it is dead and may become frustrated and lonely. Noises commonly associated with a restless spirit are footsteps, voices and commotion like banging on walls and rattling sounds like chains or keys. A living person may smell an odor like perfume or cigar smoke with no apparent origin that may indicate a spirit presence. A less common way a spirit manifests is by appearing to the living as a full-body apparition. It is documented that a human spirit interacts with the living and exhibits spontaneous behavior.
A spirit requires an energy source to enable it to manifest, whether that manifestation is achieved by making noise or making an actual appearance. Lights may dim or flicker as the spirit uses energy from an electrical source. Batteries may die quickly as the spirit uses the energy generated by the batteries. A living person may feel the hairs on the back of the neck stand up when a spirit is close by, as the warmth from one's body provides energy for the spirit as it attempts to manifest. It is for this same reason that a room may suddenly become chilly for no apparent reason, that a spirit is using the warmth of the room as a resource for energy. It has been documented that spirit activity increases during solar storms and full moons, both of which provide increased energy on Earth.
While most people are afraid of the prospect of a haunting, especially in one's own home, there are steps you can take to understand the spirit and to make your feelings known to the spirit as well. You may even be able to help a spirit pass over, but there is no way to "make" a spirit go away if it doesn't want to. Many people have come to an understanding with their spirit friend, and both reside peacefully together. If you are not able to come to that conclusion, then perhaps a team of experienced researchers can help discover a way to help you and your spirit.
As was stated before, spirits have different personalities. Most human spirits are reasonable, as are most people. If you anger a spirit by demanding it to leave, then it might just become stubborn and dig in its heels. However, if you treat the spirit with respect, but remain persistent in your request for it to leave, it may understand that you are uncomfortable and go elsewhere. You may even be able to convince it to pass over if you think you may know the reason for its staying.
NEVER should contact of a spirit be attempted by use of a Ouija Board, and only professional researchers with experience in conducting a séance should attempt this medium. Both these media run the risk of inviting more spirits to pass into our world, especially non-human spirits. They open portals. Do not take this risk.